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From PR to Published Author…and Back Again

If Kelly Sokol’s upcoming book, The Unprotected, is as entertaining as its author, we’re in for a good read. At the April meeting of PRSAHR, Sokol provided a glimpse into her whirlwind PR career, including a not-so-graceful run in (or into) with Wolf Blitzer. She delved into the details of creative writing, shared an excerpt from her book and touched on how her background in PR has come back into play now that she is promoting her own book.

What was most enjoyable about Kelly’s story was the manner in which it was shared. Kelly truly is a storyteller. She shared her career history and path to becoming a published author in a way that was funny, relatable and engaging. She shared stories that all PR pros can relate to, including making mistakes on the record, faxing (yes faxing) releases to major outlets and placing hobbies on hold for the around-the-clock lifestyle.

So what does prose writing have to do with PR? According to Sokol, “No one is good at it right away. It takes practice.” Here are a few takeaways from Sokol’s story that will help you on your way, whether in PR or creative writing.

Put your butt in the chair and get it done.

Find a community to help. Use your community for encouragement. Share your work with them and receive honest feedback. Sokol found her community at The Muse Writers Center, which we toured after the lunch meeting.

Make friends with locals who can help. For Sokol, local booksellers were key friendships.

Use the social media that is comfortable for you. Sokol stated, “There are people who win Twitter every day. I am not that person.” She instead focuses her efforts on Facebook and Goodreads.

Connect with people you admire. Don’t be afraid to talk to these people.

Fail often and always risk failure.

Be okay with people not liking your work.

Apply deadlines and schedule pressure to yourself.

Take your work seriously or no one else will.

Write (or do) what keeps you up at night.

For more information on becoming a rock-star writer, check out these resources: